THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Investigators vow to be transparent in fatal Bang Pa-in road accident case

Investigators vow to be transparent in fatal Bang Pa-in road accident case

Police officers investigating the case of two post-graduate students killed in a road accident in Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-in district on Sunday have said that they would work with transparency and take into account all available evidence, Phra In Racha Police

A video clip showing a Mercedes Benz crashing into the rear of the students’ Ford sedan, which burst into flames due to the gas tank installed in the boot, went viral in Thai social media. The two students – identified as Krissana Thaworn, 32, and Thanthapat Horsaengchai, 34, who studied under the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University’s Peace Studies Programme – died in the fire, while the Mercedes Benz driver Jenpop Weeraporn, 37, got away with injuries. Many social media users expressed concern that the culprit might get away without punishment. 
Pongpat has called on witnesses, especially those who filmed the incident, to provide information because the clip showed that the Mercedes swerved to avoid a footpath or hill and ended up hitting the students’ car. As to why Jenpop was not tested for substance abuse or drunk driving, Pongpat said police had instructed medics to conduct these tests, but was not sure if the instructions had been followed.
Case investigator, Pol Lt-Colonel Somsak Polpankhang, said Jenpop was still giving confusing testimony about what happened and police initially filed a charge of reckless driving causing others’ death against him. Since Jenpop’s family has had him transferred to Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok, he said police would conduct a detailed interview with him later. 
Somsak said police was still determining the cause of accident, pending autopsy results as to whether the students died from the crash impact or the subsequent fire. He said police would also try to locate the person who took the clip and use him as the key witness. 
The Peace Studies Programme issued a statement mourning their deaths and offering condolences to the two students’ families, who said the students were travelling to university that day because Krissana wanted to submit documents for the graduation ceremony, which was scheduled for May 15. Thanthapat was getting ready to go on a pilgrimage to India from March 19 to 29. 
Krissana’s funeral was held in Chanthaburi’s Khrung district and his cremation rites will be held on Saturday, while Thanthapat’s funeral was held in Pathum Thani province and he too will be cremated on the same day.
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